The Darkness Without
by CasusFere
Summary: Once again, took the standard storyline and twisted it... just a bit. A more realistic take on girlgetsdroppedinLotR. Finished
1. Concerning Expedience

And the disclaimer you will only ever see once in my fics... I don't own anything anyone else does, ja?  
  
A/N - This might seem something like a parody, but it isn't really... Leastwise, not too much. I'm not even poking fun! Even a little bit! ... Yet. See, I'm a twisted person. I have very twisted ideas and tastes. All my stories seem to revolve around taking a common idea or plot, and... altering it.  
  
For Verteri Lunum, whose cookies have fueled this story from when it was first hatched in the evil workshop known as my mind...  
  
That was a hint, Ver.  
  
--Chapter 1: In which the scene is set, bad words are said, and Pippin discovers the value of expediency---  
  
The elven boats cut effortlessly through the waters, leaving Aragorn free to watch the shadowed trees along the banks. No sign of orcs, but an unwary ranger was soon a dead ranger.  
  
He dipped the paddle, steering the craft back to the center of the river. Looking again to the trees, he spotted something odd ahead, in the shallows.  
  
"Legolas," he called softly, "What doyour elven eyes make of that?" He nodded towards the shape.  
  
Legolas stood, peering intently ahead. "A body of some sort. Alive or not, I cannot tell."  
  
Aragorn angled his craft toward the shallows, and the body. A moment later, the current brought him abreast of it. Stilling the boat with an oar, Aragorn leaned over to examine the body. "Still breathing," he commented, taking in the short, very bright red hair, and loose-fitting canvas leggings. The unfortunate person was lying on his stomach, half out of the water, like he had dragged himself partway out and collapsed.  
  
Aragorn leaned closer, trying to identify the strange clothing. Short boots, of a style he'd never seen, with thick, lumpy soles. Excellent for traction, he noted. The pants wre of a heavy canvas, dark grey with numerous pockets of varing shapes and sizes, and cinched around the waist with a grommeted cloth belt. The shirt was similar to a sleeveless tunic, tucked into the... He started, noting the bulge at the chest. His eyes traced upwards to the line of the jaw.  
  
"A woman," he mused aloud. Behind him, Sam gasped in startlement.  
  
Boromir and Legolas had landed their boats, and now Boromir knelt next to the woman. "From where, and how, I have to wonder." He carefully turned her on her back. "She doesn't seem injured, except for bruises," he called to Aragorn, "But I've never seen hair, or clothing, like this before."  
  
"A Lady of a far-off, exotic land, maybe!" exclaimed Pippin.  
  
"Hardly," snorted Boromir, "She's too muscular to be a lady, and I warrant the darkness of her skin is of the sun, not her land."  
  
"And niether weathered enough, nor strong enough to be a farmer or such hearabouts." Aragorn said as he pulled his craft onto the bank.  
  
"What is she, than?" asked Merry.  
  
"A merchant's daughter, perhaps. Merchant families sometimes travel far." Boromir grinned at Aragron. "Sometimes even farther than rangers, aye?"  
  
"We will discover little more until she awakes," said Aragorn, ignoring Boromir, "It nears sundown now, and this place is as good a camp as any."  
  
-!-  
  
Twilight fell before their newly-aquired quest awoke. Legolas knelt next to her as she blinked awake, wrapped in Boromir's cloak.  
  
"Are you feeling..." He was cut off by her scrambling back, yelling.  
  
"Get the hell away from me, bastered!" She fought with the cloak before kicking loose and scrambling to her feet. "You lay one finger on me, pervert, and I'll kill you!"  
  
"Ye gods, she's crazy!"  
  
"Nay." Aragorn raised his hands, trying to calm her. "She's merely confused." He stepped towards her speaking quietly, like one would to a spooked horse. "You're safe here, we have no wish to harm you..."  
  
"Bullshit!" She shrieked, and pulled something from a pocket, roughly a handsbreath long, and brandished it like a weapon. "Don't come closer, or I'll gut you!" A snickt, and the little object had a blade comming out of one end.  
  
"Easy, you've taken a hit to the head and are just a bit confused. Just sit down and eat something, and we'll see no harm comes to you."  
  
"Eat something?! Is that it? You're going to try to drug me, asshole! You want me, come and get me," she snarled, waving her knife.  
  
Boromir came to his feet. "Easy, girl," he said as she whirled to face him, "Sit down before you hurt yourself."  
  
"Jackass!" she shrieked as Boromir ducked an inexpert slash at his face.  
  
Aragorn stepped forward, meaning to grab the knife, but she jumped out of the way.   
  
"Don't want to hurt me, huh?! You son-of-a..." She stopped and slumped to the ground without any futher obscenities.  
  
Everyone turned to stare at the source of the hobbit-thrown rock.  
  
"What?" asked Pippin.  
  
---------------------------  
  
A/N- Theresies. I hate scene setting for this kind of fic, but unfortunatly, it's kinda required. I'd lose everyone, elsewise. Set in the middle of the trip down that one river that I'm to lazy to look up, before Frodo runs off, obviously. I claim innocent on all spelling errors... I have no spellchecker on my computer, and I'm to damn lazy to screw with the internet ones... most of them suck, anyway. More entertaining stuff later, a plot begins to develop(!), and less obscene language. 


	2. Concerning the Ring

A/N - Love you, Ver. 'Specially since I think you're the only one reading this. So why am I posting it and not just emailing it to you? Gah, I don't know. Maybe someone else will wander in and I can bore them to death. One or two more chapters, and I'm done, and can go work on my Mercedes Lackey fics, or that HP plot bunny that attacked me this morning...  
  
Well, I've already dedicated the story, but I'll dedicate this chapter to a batch of rum cookies...   
  
Hint, hint.  
  
------ Chapter 2: In which a plot begins to develop, Jackie wakes up and the Ring has a role-----------  
  
Jackie woke to a splitting headache and a rocking boat. She opened her eyes and was promtly blinded by the bright sun overhead. Growning, she closed them again.  
  
A rustling from near her feet, and a voice. "See? She's not dead!"  
  
"You're just lucky," came another voice from near her elbow.  
  
"I didn't hit her that hard!" She blinked her eyes open again, blearily focusing on the two figures leaning over her.  
  
"Waz wit th' midgets?" she slurred.  
  
One of the blurry figures looked at the other. "What did she say? Was that even in common?"  
  
The other figure glared. "Did you understand her?"  
  
"No, that's why I asked you!"  
  
"If she's saying words we can't understand, she's probably speaking another language!"  
  
A deep chuckle came from behind her. "She was speaking common well enough last night, if with a strange accent."  
  
Jackie twisted around, her vision swimming at the sudden motion. Kneeling at the front of the little boat was the big man she'd tried to stick. She reached for her switchblade, then realized one of these... people ... probably had it.  
  
"Who are you?" chirped one of the little guys that'd been arguing.  
  
"Pip! Be polite!" hissed the other. Then louder, "Are you feeling alright now? How's your head?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess I'm alright. My head hurts."  
  
"So," started the first miget, "I'm Pippin, and this is my cousin, Merry." He slung an arm around the other midget and both grinned. "He's Boromir," Pippin pointed at the man steering the boat.  
  
"Wierd names. Wierd boat. Wierd people,"she muttered. "I'm Jackie."  
  
-!-  
  
Jackie lay curled up in Boromir's cloak, leaning against a tree trunk, still feeling a bit dazed. She had eaten what was offered her. The two short guys in the boat were nice enough, and so was the big guy, even if the guy was a bit gruff. The scruffy man hadn't tried to approach her, or speak to her except to tell her they'd be taking her along until they found somewhere safe. Perferably with someone who knows what the hell is going on, she thought.  
  
The other two midgets hadn't spoke to her, and were now curled up across the fire. The blond guy with the pointy ears... she didn't know what to make of him. He tried to talk to her, but she just stared blankly and he went away. Pippin had said something about him being an elf, but hadn't been able to make sense of her confused question concerning short people who made cookies.   
  
Whatever he was, he seemed to hang pretty close to the short bearded guy... she was fairly sure they were both gay.   
  
Everyone but the blond man were asleep around the fire. Blondie was off somewhere else; he'd left around sundown and she hadn't seen him since. One of the anti-social midget's ... hobbit's... whatever's collar had fallen open, and she could see something glinting in the firelight. A necklace, and a heavy gold ring.  
  
-!-  
  
Jackie asked Pippin about it the next morning. He told her it was powerful, an artifact of evil. And then he cheerfully told her that they were on a quest to destroy it.   
  
Expensive surely, but powerful? Items don't have power, possession of them does. But somehow, she felt her conviction fade whenever she saw the ring...  
  
A/N - See? plot is developing! Short plot, but it's a plot! 


	3. Concerning Power

A/N: Last chapter. I said it'd be done spring break… but hey, only a day late. Better then most of my homework.

0-0-0

In which Frodo discovers the meaning of "betrayal," and Jackie learns that acquiring power and keeping it are two different things.

0-0-0

Frodo fled through the forest, branches grabbing at his hair, and brush tugging on his pants. He had to get away… had to protect it…

"_It should be mine! Give it to me!" Boromir's face twisted with naked hunger. "Give it to me!"_

Tears blurring his vision, Frodo ran. Behind him, in the distance, he could hear the cries of uruk-hai and the low, mournful call of the Horn of Gondor. Ahead, through a break in the trees, he could just make out the river.

His only warning was the sudden flash of color, then the ground was rushing for him as pain exploded in his head. Distantly, he felt someone grab his shoulder and roll him onto his back as black spikes rushed across his vision, and the world went dark.

Jackie ripped opened the hobbit's shirt, hunting for the ring on its chain. Not finding it, she cursed, kicking the unconscious Frodo. His hand unclenched as she kicked him again, and the Ring glinted. Seizing it, Jackie held the Ring up to the light, hearing it call to her.

Reality came rushing back as the sound of someone running through the brush. Pocketing the Ring, she took off through the woods, running away from the footsteps and the sounds of fighting.

Seconds after Jackie took off, Sam came upon Frodo. Dropping to his knees next to the unconscious Frodo, Sam whispered, "Mr. Frodo…" Frodo didn't respond to Sam's touch. "Come on, Mr. Frodo… Wake up!" Gentle fingers probed the blood-matted hair. "Please be alright! Come on, Mr. Frodo, we've got to get you out of here…" Sliding an arm under Frodo's shoulders, Sam pulled him up. "Just lean on me, and we'll get you back to Strider. Remember how he helped you up on Weathertop? It'll be alright, you'll see."

Sam began the slow and painful walk back towards the camp. He had only gone a few hundred feet when the Uruk-Hai caught them.

0-0-0

Jackie raced through the woods, branches slapping at her face, face flushed with exhilaration. She had done it! She laughed as she ran, jumping lightly over a log. She had actually done it! Her laugh turned to a scream as she burst into a clearing, and into the arms of three Uruk-Hai. She screamed, and tried to scramble away.

It didn't help.

0-0-0

A/N: yes, that's the end. I told you it was twisted. Guess who owes me move yummy sugary stuff?


End file.
